As far as I'm concerned one of the biggest decorating sins a person can commit is to put carpet in the bathroom. There are soooo many reasons why. The main one is that moisture is a carpet killer.  It can get moldy, smelly, and just plain gross. And imagine if there's a leak of some sort from the plumbing. Ack! But honestly, the biggest reason is that it just doesn't look good (as the accompanying photograph demonstrates).

What about you? Would you ever consider putting wall-to-wall carpet in the bathroom? Why or why not? What's your biggest "decorating don't"?

Photo © flickr.com/Rick Audet

One of the great things about summer is being able to entertain and host parties in the great outdoors. From barbeques to pool parties to weddings and showers, there's something especially nice about gathering friends and family in your yard and whooping it up under the sun or stars.

If you're going to host a party outside there are a few things you need to think about before the masses descend on your home. From appropriate seating to adequate lighting to outdoor décor, you'll want to be well prepared to accommodate your guest's needs.

Check out some of our tips for hosting a party in the great outdoors.

Photo © flickr.com/Wonderlane

Yesterday I was helping a friend do a floral arrangement for a television shoot and once again it struck me how expensive it can be to make even a small arrangement. It was a fairly simple display full of a variety of pink and white blossoms and still it cost almost $60. As much as I would love to have this type of arrangement in every room of the house my budget simply won't allow for it.

It got me thinking about all the ways we can display flowers in our homes. While big arrangements are great, simply grabbing a few blooms from the garden and arranging them strategically throughout the house can be just as effective. So here are a few ideas for decorating with flowers from the garden without spending a lot of money.

Feel free to leave a comment and share your own ideas for decorating with flowers. We'd love to hear them!

Photo © Photobucket.com

I spent some time yesterday with design guru Brett Walther and he was telling me about a hot new trend in kitchens. It's called the "unfitted" kitchen and it's all about using furniture instead of traditional cabinets, counters and islands. It's not exactly a new idea (if anything it's a throwback to the kitchens of yore) and it tends to go in and out of fashion, but it's certainly growing in popularity right now.

Imagine if you will an armoire full of dishes and cooking utensils, an old antique table with lots of storage and shelving in place of an island, and perhaps some plate racks and pot racks either fixed to the wall or hanging from the ceiling. It's a less traditional and more relaxed style of kitchen and for some people it works really well.

Keep in mind that you can also do a partially fitted kitchen. My former boss (who's a terrific decorator/designer) had a totally modern kitchen with every imaginable convenience but on one side of the room she had some of the cabinets removed and put in an antique armoire. Stunning! Definitely something I would consider.

What do you think? Would you ever give up your practical cabinetry in favor of a bookshelf or armoire? If you were planning a kitchen remodel would you consider an unfitted style, or is it just too impractical?

Photo © sxc.hu/marmit